English Language Support Link Worker
My background is in primary teaching where, over the years, I specialised in literacy, modern languages, drama and philosophy for children.
I took early retirement in 2019 in order to pursue new interests – write, do some acting and volunteer in the local community. My first volunteer role was at St Wilfrid’s where I ran a creative writing class for adults.
I first undertook the SAVTE training course to become a volunteer buddy tutor in 2019 but then the pandemic hit, so, instead, I became a 1 to 1 tutor, leading all of my sessions online on Zoom. Nonetheless, this was a wonderful experience and my learner and I became good friends and learnt alot about each other’s culture. I was so proud of her when she moved on to college and grew in confidence.
I’ve since moved on to be paired with a new learner but was also recently appointed as a Link Worker on the Learning Support Team. I am now proud to be employed by SAVTE as part of the team assessing new learners and training volunteers to teach them English.
SAVTE is a wonderful organisation offering much needed support to learners who might otherwise struggle to fully integrate in and embrace a fulfilling life in Sheffield.
In my spare time I love long distance running, going to the cinema, watching live music, reading, politics and travelling in my campervan.